


Pierced Scales, Broken Walls

by orphan_account



Series: Archbishop [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Complicated Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/F, Falling In Love, Femslash, In-game Dialogue, Retelling, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-11-24 14:16:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20909015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Somehow I feel as though your acceptance alone is my salvation."A retelling of the changing relationship between Byleth and Rhea, the truths that revealed themselves over time, and  reverence that turned into love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for a while now, because the more I play this game, the more I f̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ learn about Rhea. sighs
> 
> I have chapter 2 ready as well, will probably be putting it up soon. hopefully I won't take several years to write chapter 3, orz
> 
> rating will eventually change to E

_Somehow I feel as though your acceptance alone is my salvation._

* * *

The first time she set her eyes on Rhea, something within her had stirred. Moved her non-beating heart. She felt curiosity, and a deep yearning to learn more. A distant, vague, yet insistent sense of familiarity. An inexplicable warmth. A very tangible sensation of being overwhelmed by the grace and divinity that this woman exuded.

“Watch out for Lady Rhea,” her father had warned her. “I don’t know what she’s planning, making you a professor like this. Best be on your guard.” Byleth had nodded solemnly, as she always did, and yet her last thoughts as she went to sleep that night were of the magnificent Archbishop that she had met earlier that day.

As she carried out her duties as a new member of the Church of Seiros, and professor of the Black Eagle house, Byleth found herself gravitating toward Lady Rhea more and more each day. Every long Sunday that she spent exploring the monastery, and even when she was leading her students through side-missions, or attending a seminary, her thoughts would always drift to Lady Rhea, one moment or another.

She’d pressed Sothis for details about her, once or twice. “I told you that I don’t know a thing! Goodness, you’re so stubborn!” the girl had chided in her head. Sothis had made it quite clear that Rhea was puzzling, and, inexplicably, a source of irritation to her. It seemed that the girl would be of no help after all. Sothis had teased her about her questions too, of course. “I don’t know why you’re so insistent on learning about that woman, anyway. She gives me such a strange feeling. I don’t trust her.”

Following her mission at the Holy Mausoleum, Byleth protected the Sword of the Creator from being stolen by thieves. When she held it in her hand, the sword glowed red, its ancient power awakening. She had planned on returning it, but to her surprise, Rhea asked that she keep it, entrusting her with the task of using its power for good.

The same question that Seteth asked earlier rang over and over in her head. Why was Rhea so willing to trust her? Not only had she been made a professor on such quick notice, but now she was being entrusted with an incredibly powerful weapon of old. She’d hardly done anything worthy of such privileges. Yes, she had taken well to her role at the Academy, and her students liked and trusted her, but none of it seemed enough to warrant the merit that Rhea supposedly saw in her.

Rhea seemed overjoyed every time Byleth paid her a visit on Sundays. Her face would light up with a small yet expressive smile. Sometimes Byleth would ask for training in sword or faith, which she would happily grant. Sometimes she would bring her gifts. And heavens, if something didn’t bubble up within her whenever Rhea would smile and say, “oh, I adore this.”

Things changed the first time that Rhea invited her into her personal quarters. The room was vast, but quite simplistic. Decorations were minimal. For some reason she had expected the Archbishop’s quarters to be a bit more… lavish. She stepped into it carefully, and once she did, Rhea said that while Byleth was in there, she was no longer the Archbishop, but simply Rhea. It seemed difficult to separate the two, when the woman before her looked just as regal and magnificent as she always did - robes and headdress and all.

Still, every second that Byleth spent with her - alone with her - was a delight. To hear that melodious, soothing voice, telling her stories and giving her little compliments. Rhea had a magnetism about her that made Byleth long to be near her. And not leave once she was. She was hiding something, Byleth knew. It was quite plain. There were a great many somethings veiled by Rhea’s smiles, her voice. Pain, sorrow, despair, possibly regret. Byleth wanted to ask, and yet knew that she must not. If ever she was going to find out the secrets that Rhea harbored, then she would hear them whenever she was ready and willing to divulge.

The nightmares that she used to have in the past seemed to be significantly exacerbated ever since she began wielding the Sword of the Creator. Sometimes it would just be Sothis talking to her, telling her all sorts of things that she would inevitably forget upon opening her eyes. Sometimes she was in that battlefield again. An imposing, terrifying-looking man, clashing swords with a woman with long green hair and eyes full of wrath. Sometimes there was nothing but darkness - a suffocating darkness that threatened to swallow her whole and trap her in its eternal torment. She tried to steel her emotions, and fight to not let the dreams get to her. Yet even so, she felt their weight pushing down on her shoulders, sometimes.

She opened up about them during one of her visits to Rhea. It was hardly a surprise that Rhea suspected that she may have been having bad dreams before she even said a word about it. Did Rhea truly know more about her than she did about herself? It seemed entirely possible. There were so many strange gaps in her memories, after all.

A thought occurred to her after she’d told Rhea about her nightmares.

She had never opened up like this to anyone before. None of her students or her closest allies. Nobody. And yet with Rhea, the words just naturally fell from her mouth. She told her about the battlefield, about the young girl, the strange premonitions. Rhea told her that it all likely had something to do with the effects of the Sword of the Creator, and that she would be there should Byleth need anything, always. Once again, Byleth felt her warmth somewhere deep within. Every word Rhea spoke seemed to have such a profound effect on her.

And there was more to it, too. Rhea’s deep green eyes, that seemed to hide so much beneath them. Her silken-looking skin. Her flowing green hair. Everything about her was just so…

That evening in Rhea’s quarters, Byleth let slip something that she might possibly come to regret. She gave her familiar short smile, and murmured,

“I’m very glad to have met you, Lady Rhea.”

Rhea breathed in with what appeared to be fondness, then looked straight into Byleth’s eyes, and responded,

“As I am glad to have you here, my dear one. I feel so very blessed.”

Those words resonated in Byleth’s mind as she laid down to rest that night. She could not shake off the sweet timbre of Rhea’s voice, or the fond words that she spoke.

* * *

Losing Jeralt had a profound impact on Byleth. As he lay motionless in her arms, and rain began to pour down on them, she shed the first tears of her life.

She wasn’t used to feeling such strong emotions. So many of them whirled inside her, bitter and dark and intense, like a storm. Grief, anger, remorse, self-hatred. A thirst for revenge. The somber rain that washed over her seemed to mirror how she felt within.

Her students and colleagues tried their best to comfort her. They offered words of comfort, a listening ear, even sweets or cups of tea. They were very kind, and she was thankful for their efforts, but they did little to soothe her weeping soul. Most of the time, all she wanted to do was shut herself in her quarters, and be alone.

Well. As alone as she could be, when Sothis was always with her.

“If you must weep, then weep,” the girl had said, her voice gentle, lacking its usual, higher-pitched bite. “I am here for you.”

If Sothis had a body of her own, Byleth thought, then she might have wanted to embrace her. It was highly out of character for her, she knew, and yet she felt a strong longing to have arms around her.

She found herself mindlessly wandering the monastery by late afternoon. She simply walked, letting her legs take her wherever they would. When the shadow cast by the towers loomed over her, she turned to the northeast. To one of the highest of them, where the Archbishop’s quarters and the Star Terrace were. Her chest tightened. She wanted to see Rhea.

“Oh, my sweet child,” Rhea cooed at her. “Come here.” She reached out, and when Byleth stepped forward, she gently wrapped her arms around her. Byleth melted into her embrace. Rhea had such a strange warmth to her. Even her scent was pleasant. Comforting. Vaguely familiar. The emotions welling within her threatened to burst out, and she could only rein them in so much. She shed one, two silent tears onto Rhea’s fine robes.

“I can imagine how you must be feeling, my dear one. The pain of losing one’s family is stronger than any other in this world.”

“He was all I had,” Byleth muttered, fighting to not break into sobs.

“I know, I know.” Rhea smoothed her hands up and down Byleth’s back - a delicate, yet deeply meaningful affection. “The void he left in your heart may never truly be filled again, but… please, know that you are not alone. We, at the monastery, have all come to cherish you as though you were family. We are here for you. I, am here for you.”

Usually, when Rhea spoke to her, Byleth was left with a vague, yet persistent feeling that she was hiding something. Holding something back. That she was being truthful, but not fully honest. But here, now, Rhea’s words seemed to reach her very soul. She knew little of Rhea, of her past or who she was. But it didn’t matter, then. That tender, fleeting moment - that was real. And it brought warmth to Byleth’s cold, still heart.

* * *

Though Byleth had initially thought that the ball of the Ethereal Moon was untimely, given the bleak circumstances, she could not deny that she ended up having quite a lovely time. She had planned to watch her students enjoy themselves from afar, but of course, she could not say no when Claude invited her to a dance. Many eyes were fixed on her as they made their way across the dancefloor; and, surprisingly, it wasn’t such a bad feeling. Jeralt had made a few comments in the past about how much she had changed since coming to the monastery. How well she had taken to her new life. In that moment, feeling a simple joy at being the center of attention, she couldn’t help but think that he was right. Once a woman who had always preferred to stick to the shadows, now she found herself feeling quite content surrounded by the students’ gazes.

Yet, as the night went on, she could not help but notice the lack of presence of one archbishop. Rhea likely had very good reasons to not partake in the festivities, but Byleth still wished that she could share a dance with her, too. To be close to Rhea, holding her by the waist, their bodies gently swaying to the rhythm of the music… Picturing such a thing brought a flush to Byleth’s cheeks. Perhaps it was a good time for her to take a goblet of wine for herself.

Towards the end of the night, Byleth was quite worn out. Sothis, of course, chided her for it, speaking of how much she wished she could dance the night away had she a body of her own. That whimsical little comment brought a smile to Byleth’s face, until… something distracted her. A soft, dulcet voice, singing a melody somewhere close by.

She was hesitant, at first, but Sothis urged her to follow the sound. She walked until she spotted Rhea herself, facing the vast view of the bridge to the Goddess Tower. She was singing. Singing a sweet, silvery verse.

_♪ In time’s flow… see the glow of flames ever burning bright._   
_ On the swift river’s drift… broken memories alight… ♪_

The sound drew her in. Such a lovely voice. Such a sweet melody. Gentle, yet moving, like waves washing upon a shore. Striking, yet subtle, like the last rays of shine just before the sunset.

Rhea looked beautiful. Standing there, bathed by the white light of the stars and the moon, she might have been an angel. She smiled, warm as always, when she detected Byleth coming towards her.

“My, what a surprise to see you here, at this hour,” she said. “I imagined your students would keep you quite busy.”

Byleth’s expression didn’t change. “They have been. But…”

Hesitation. A truly rare thing, for her. Rhea tilted her head expectantly.

“Something was missing.”

“Oh? And what might that have been?”

Byleth took another step, coming just a little closer to her.

“You.”

Rhea widened her eyes, then laughed softly. “Oh, my dear one. This event is for the students. I’m quite sure that they are not missing me.”

Byleth clutched one of her fists at her side. How could she convey to Rhea was she was feeling? How could she possibly find the right words? She had never been good with those, after all.

“Well I… missed you.”

The way Rhea smiled then, made Byleth feel as though every cell in her body became paralyzed. Adrenaline rushed through her body.

“I missed you too, Professor. Very much.”

Rhea turned her head, seeming to gaze at the moon.

“I must admit that, despite all of tonight’s festivities, I’ve not shared a dance with anyone. Would you care to join me?”

She extended her hand out, complimenting her invitation. For a short moment, Byleth looked at it. Rhea’s palm reaching out to her, exposing its subtle scars and imperfections. In that moment, there wasn't a doubt in her mind. Rhea was the most amazing woman that she had ever met. To be offered a chance to dance with her now, and during such a special occasion…

She gently took Rhea’s hand.

“I... would be honored to.”

Rhea’s smile widened, and they took a few silent steps towards the Goddess Tower.

Holding Rhea’s hand made sparks of electricity race through Byleth’s veins. The gesture was subtle, and yet it affected her so. She could feel her entire body tense, the hairs on her arms stand on edge as they walked together.

The Goddess Tower was quiet and empty when they arrived. Byleth had expected to come across at least one or two couples of lovestruck students upon their arrival, and yet, they were alone. She felt that sensation again. Like her stomach was doing summersaults.

Rhea sighed, looking up above her head. Smiling.

“Such a beautiful night. The goddess has blessed us with such clear skies.”

Indeed, there was hardly a cloud to be found in the night sky. The moon and stars cast their light upon them, bright and clear. Bathed in that light, Rhea was so beautiful. Her eyes seemed to sparkle even more than they usually did. She had always seemed ethereal, almost otherworldly. But now…

She turned to her again.

“Shall we?”

Byleth nodded.

Rhea took one of her hands, lacing their fingers together. Her other one went to Byleth’s shoulder, while Byleth held her waist. Even at such a distance, they could still clearly hear the ballad being played in the reception hall. With an easy, perfectly natural step, they began to move together.

Aside from the music in the distance, and the sound of their steps, the Goddess Tower was so silent. As they stood there, swaying gently to the music, Byleth could almost forget all else. Like there was nothing in the world but the two of them. The two of them, alone save for the silver light and the watchful eye of the goddess.

Rhea chuckled as they moved. “You are quite an accomplished dancer. Did Jeralt teach you this, too?”

“Not important,” Byleth said. _What’s important is the here and now,_ she thought.

“Hm. Cryptic as ever, I see.”

Though there was much to admire about being so close to Rhea as they danced, a few things caught Byleth’s particular attention. First, how bright and gleaming Rhea’s eyes were. Their lovely mint color brought such a strange sense of familiarity. Then there were her hands. Yet again, she noted how soft they felt. How her nails were so perfectly manicured. And her long, shining hair. How beautifully it flowed when she moved. She was every bit a living angel. Too good, too beautiful, for the sullen world they lived in.

“Lost in thought?” asked Rhea.

Byleth blinked. “A bit.” _Lost in you._

In the distance, the band played the final note in the song. Though the proper step would have been for the dancers to separate and bow before each other, Rhea and Byleth didn’t move. They held their pose, regarding each other.

Rhea smiled at her. “Thank you for joining me tonight, dear one. I believe I will sleep a great deal better than I would have otherwise.”

Byleth’s emotions stirred within her. Fire coursed through her veins and set her body alight.

“Rhea.”

“Hm?”

She searched for the right words to say. Searched for them in the depth of Rhea’s eyes. But they didn’t come to her. Perhaps it was her inexperience. Perhaps her unusual upbringing. Or, perhaps, she just wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing at all.

“I… am happy that we could dance together.”

Rhea’s eyes went wide for just a fraction of a second, before she let out a characteristic, gentle laugh.

“As am I. Let us retire then, shall we?”

Byleth nodded. They walked together on their way back to the reception hall, until the spot where they would need to go separate ways to reach their quarters.

Byleth looked at her, uneasy, like there were a thousand and one words clogged behind her throat.

“Have a good night, sweet one.”

  
“You.. too.”

And then she was gone.

Byleth’s room had never felt so empty, her bed and sheets so cold. Though light from the moon was pouring in through her window, she felt as though she was laying in pitch black darkness. She scoffed, hardly able to believe how ridiculous she was being. Yet, despite her best efforts, her last thoughts before sleep claimed her, were that of Rhea’s smile, and of their bodies moving together to the music.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter has been updated. I have no idea how I skipped over these two crucial scenes when I was uploading it to AO3 but. ahem. please excuse my dumb bird brain

In the very first moments following the fusing of Sothis’ soul with her own, Byleth felt nothing. Recalled nothing. 

Her brief fight with Solon in the Sealed Forest was a blur. The conversations with Edelgard and Hubert were lost to her. She could only vaguely recall interacting with them, before everything went dark.

And then blackness. 

Blackness, deep and silent and suffocating. Terrifying, overwhelming - until --

Until a sound.

A sound, somewhere in the distance. Sweet and quiet. Like the tiniest flame of a candle in the pitch black. The first glimpse of light at the end of a tunnel. 

And a voice. A voice so sweet, so familiar. 

_ In time’s flow… see the glow of flames ever burning bright. _

Byleth stirred. Her body reacted, but her mind registered little. 

_ On the swift river’s drift… broken memories alight.  _

Music. Music, gentle and sweet. Like a blanket, weaving over her body in its soft, shielding embrace. 

And then tender words, spoken in a velvet-like tone. Words that urged her to sleep just a little longer. A lost hope that this moment should last forever. A pledge that someone would be watching over her, always. 

But… but who? Who was…? 

Her senses failed her. She could register little save for a vague warmth against her cheek, and her hair being gently brushed through. 

But she cared not. She had never in her life felt so peaceful, so serene. Wherever she was, she was home. Her unbeating heart softened. Her faceless guardian wished for this moment to last forever, and she felt the same. There, wherever she was, there was nothing but the two of them. Nothing but this warmth. This peace. This… 

From the deepest, innermost corner of her mind, she swore she heard Sothis’ voice. 

_ Oh, for crying out loud! Go back to sleep already! I can’t handle any more of these saccharine emotions of yours! _

She wasn’t sure if Sothis truly spoke to her, or if she’d imagined it. There was no time to ponder, either, for just a moment later, sleep took hold of her again. A deep, tranquil sleep, void of dreams, save for one of that angel-like voice singing to her again. 

* * *

Despite everyone’s talk about how different she looked, Byleth didn’t feel too fundamentally different after fusing with Sothis. At first, seeing her reflection in mirrors and being met with mint green hair, and somewhat blue-green eyes, was a bit unsettling. To be expected, she figured, when she’d spent her entire life seeing something else. Aside from that, and a distinct sensation of having a great power lying within her… She felt much the same as before. 

There was also, of course, the absence of Sothis’ voice. Only a day or so had passed, but Byleth already missed her. She’d truly come to enjoy Sothis’ company. She was empathetic, inquisitive, highly opinionated. Stubborn, whimsical, a little bit snarky. Even after discovering her true identity - the ghost of the Goddess that watches over Fódlan - her image in Byleth’s mind remained much the same. Everything felt so very quiet now that Sothis’ voice was no longer speaking to her. 

Still, despite her initial apprehension, she did not feel alone. It was as Sothis had said - even if Byleth could not hear her, she would be able to feel her presence. She would be there with her, always. It brought Byleth a pleasant feeling of comfort. 

Deciding that she was done with her exploration of the monastery the following Sunday afternoon, Byleth sat in her quarters, slowly reading through a novel. She didn’t read novels often, usually preferring books containing information. Yet she found herself needing distractions more often, lately. It was certainly better for her mental health than reading Jeralt’s diary over and over, when she had already practically memorized the contents of its pages by this point.

Her eyes drifted away from the pages, and towards the late afternoon sky. It was tinged with oranges, yellows, and pinks. Quite beautiful - poetic, even. For some reason, it made her feel melancholy. Like she wanted to be watching it with someone else. 

She thought of Rhea again. She’d spoken to her only briefly, today. She seemed to be very much looking forward to their visit to the Holy Tomb, and yet… somewhat apprehensive, try as she might to conceal it. As if she were afraid of something. That thought was unsettling, Byleth felt. Disappointing Rhea, especially when it clear as day that whatever it was that she was expecting, it was of great importance to her. The idea of it was dreadful. Still, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to pay her a visit…

The sun was close to setting when Byleth arrived at the third floor of the reception hall. Rhea was, fittingly, standing on the Star Terrace, gazing down at the students making their way to their dorms, or the dining hall. Hearing Byleth’s footsteps, she turned her head, and gave a familiar, sweet smile. 

“Hello there, dear one. Have you come to visit me?” 

Byleth nodded silently, feeling a bit bashful all of a sudden. Rhea gave a brief chuckle, then walked towards her. 

“Come. Let us go to my quarters.”

They sat beside each other in Rhea’s room, and she noted how they hadn’t yet had an opportunity to meet privately since the transformation. It had started to amuse Byleth a bit, the way Rhea spoke of Sothis. Always referring to her as a divine figure, one that exudes grace and wisdom. Quite the contrast to the snide girl that once spoke to her. Still, she could clearly see that Sothis, however it was that she once appeared to Rhea, was important to her; and she respected it. 

Byleth imagined that her face must have flushed quite profusely, when Rhea asked to take a closer look at her. She stepped so close, gently touched her face, her hair. They had never been so near each other before, not even when they danced. Byleth was certain that if her heart could beat, it would be racing. Rhea had always had such a powerful effect on her. 

She spoke of the strong bonds that existed between them. Of their mutual connection to the Goddess. Byleth told her that she understood, but Rhea was right when she noted that there was probably still much that Byleth wanted to know. Byleth trusted that one day, when the time was right, Rhea would finally speak to her without holding anything back. 

When Byleth was at the door, just moments before she opened it in order to leave, Rhea called for her. 

“Wait.”

Byleth stopped, turning to Rhea with an expectant look in her eyes. Rhea, for perhaps the first time since they’d met, seemed to hesitate a bit, looking for the right words.

“I… I know that I may be overstepping my boundaries, dear one, but… Won’t you stay just a while longer? I do not want to part with you just yet.” 

Byleth came closer, watching her intently. Rhea seemed nervous. Was that a little flush on her fair cheeks? 

“The truth is… I am not so strong as I am made out to be. Due to my position as the Archbishop, I owe it to the people of Fódlan to appear resolute and unwavering, no matter what the circumstances. For their sake, I do what I must in order to maintain that image. But I--” 

She paused, averting her gaze. 

“I am… lonely. So very lonely. I have been, for as long as I can remember. I hadn’t intended to reveal this to you, but perhaps now…” 

Unable to find words to say, but driven by a strong urge from within, Byleth reached out, and touched Rhea’s hand with hers. Three of their fingers intertwined together, and Rhea let out the tiniest of gasps when they did. Byleth noted yet again how thin Rhea’s fingers were, how soft their tips - uncanny, for one so strong. 

The yearning in Rhea’s eyes was yet another tiny crack in the façade that she fought to maintain. Where there was normally an almost godlike aura to her, now she seemed so incredibly human. Not an Archbishop, not a figurehead. Just a woman. A woman with a heart full of longing. 

“Rhea,” Byleth spoke. 

“Somehow, when I am with you… I am not afraid to let down the walls I have built.” She laughed briefly and quietly, as she often did. “Perhaps that is yet another of your many talents.” 

_ No, _ Byleth thought.  _ This is something I want to reserve for you alone.  _

“Hm?” Rhea looked at her. “Is there… something you wish to say?” 

There were quite a few things she wanted to say, but as was often the case with Rhea, words escaped her. Instead, she stepped an inch closer, and locked her gaze with Rhea’s. 

It was probably the first time that they had looked into each other’s eyes so intently, and this up close. Her blood felt hot inside her veins; her entire body alight with adrenaline - a stark contrast to the calm that Rhea normally exuded. 

Before she could convince herself against it, Byleth took a step closer and encircled Rhea’s neck with her arms, enveloping her in an embrace. She rested her head against the softness of Rhea’s chest. Rhea let out another tiny gasp, surprised by the gesture, but quickly relaxed, easing her arms around Byleth’s waist. One of her hands smoothed up Byleth’s back and into her hair, gently stroking it. 

“You’ve made me… so very happy,” Rhea cooed. Byleth held her tighter. 

_ I’ll protect that happiness, _ Byleth silently vowed.  _ I swear it.  _

They held each other for a long moment, and when they finally separated, Byleth was reluctant. But then Rhea was looking into her eyes again, this time a warm smile gracing her lovely features. 

It happened without thinking, before she could stop it. Byleth put a hand to Rhea’s cheek, and planted a kiss on Rhea’s lips. 

It was brief and tender, just the slightest lock of lips. But it was enough. Rhea’s lips were as soft as Byleth had imagined. 

She was a bit hesitant to look at Rhea’s face again once she pulled away, afraid that she had overstepped. Yet, Rhea was smiling. She seemed surprised, but she was smiling. And blushing. Byleth smiled too. If the feeling of butterflies in one’s stomach was a real phenomenon and not a metaphor exclusive to novels and poetry, Byleth thought, then this must be it. 

As if to break her out of her reverie, the bells of the cathedral sounded in the distance, signalling the end of the day at the monastery. 

“Well,” said Rhea. “I suppose you must be going, then. Your colleagues will be waiting for you.” 

Byleth nodded despite her disappointment. But before she could turn towards the door, Rhea leaned in and pressed a kiss to Byleth’s cheek. 

“Until tomorrow, my heart.”   
  


* * *

  
The battle in the Holy Tomb broke Byleth’s heart in more ways than she ever could have imagined.

Edelgard had been behind it all. She was the Flame Emperor. She was the one pulling the strings behind many of the tragedies that had befallen Garreg Mach and those within it, at least to some extent. There had been more than one perpetrator, of course, but she had known about it all. Even the murder of Jeralt. And now, she threatened to point her sword at the church, and by extension, the Goddess herself.

Time froze for Byleth and those around her.

She had come to trust Edelgard. She knew that the current system, where crests were often the sole factor in determining a person’s future, was unjust. She knew that something was amiss about the church and the teachings that it held. She wanted to fight to change them, but not like this. Not like this. She had grown fond of Edelgard, but the thought of defying Rhea, of fighting against her, filled her with dread. She could not do it.

Byleth stood in silence, refusing to follow Rhea’s command to kill Edelgard, but also not taking a stand against her. When Edelgard declared that she would retreat, and disappeared using warp magic, Byleth exhaled. She didn’t even realize that she’d been holding her breath.

When she turned to face Rhea again, she saw an expression that was full of anger, but also hiding relief. Byleth could not bear to imagine what it would have looked like if she had joined Edelgard instead. To have Rhea’s wrath directed at her… she would not have been able to stand it.

Her chest felt heavy and tight as they journeyed back to the monastery to plan their next move. She could not quite tell how, but she was absolutely certain of one thing - life as she knew it was about to change.

* * *

A tense, anxiety-filled couple of weeks followed after they left the Holy Tomb. That very same day, Edelgard had journeyed back to Enbarr, and formally declared war against the Church of Seiros. Hubert had followed her, but the rest of Byleth’s Black Eagles stayed behind. Byleth was relieved, of course, for she would never want to fight against them. And yet, still… the thought of pitting them against Edelgard was heartbreaking. Some of them were so close to her. What would happen now that they were on opposite sides of a war? The future was uncertain, bleak. She spent every second feeling on edge, and she could tell that her students were too.

Rhea’s demeanor had changed since that day, too. She had been furious when it all transpired, and was still angry, even now. Byleth had known for a long time that there was another side to Rhea - one very different from the kind, soft-spoken Archbishop. A side that hid resentment, even hatred. That held scorn for those who defied her, defied the Goddess. That dished out punishments that were bordering on cruel. That kept secrets, even from her.

She didn’t know who, or how, but somebody had wronged Rhea. Somebody had hurt her severely enough to leave scars deeper than perhaps she would ever understand. Despite feeling a strong desire to find out what these secrets Rhea harbored were, Byleth would not pry. Until Rhea divulged them herself, then she would not ask her to. She would fight to protect her, and the things she cared about, until the day arrived when she could do more.

During one afternoon of the Lone Moon, a messenger informed her that she had been summoned by Rhea. Despite the man’s expression and tone not giving anything away, Byleth’s blood went cold. She knew that whatever this was, it was something major. Indeed, just shortly after she arrived to meet with Rhea and Seteth, and hearing from them various painful comments about Edelgard, Shamir arrived to give her report. The Imperial army, she said, was being mobilized, and would arrive to storm Garreg Mach within two weeks. Seteth seemed taken aback, lamenting that there would not be enough time to make sufficient preparations. Rhea, however, remained rather stoic; her expression serious and cold. Shamir and Seteth left, and before she could do so as well, Rhea placed a hand on her shoulder.

Byleth turned to her. The look on Rhea’s face was unlike any she had ever seen before.

“All of our fates are about to change,” Rhea said. “I had seen this coming for a long time, now. It is unfortunate that these events unfolded as they did.”

Byleth said nothing. She bit the inside of her lip. The last thing she wanted was to fight against Edelgard and the Empire, and soon, there would be no choice. Rhea seemed to know what she was thinking.

“I understand that this will be difficult for you. But I am grateful, as ever, that you have chosen to stay at the side of the Church… at my side.” Both her voice and her expression softened with those last three words.

Byleth’s heart stirred. She covered Rhea’s hand on her shoulder with one of her own. “I’ll protect this place. And you.”

Rhea smiled, at last. “Go on then, my dear one. There is much to be done.”

Byleth nodded, then turned on her heel, and power-walked back to her quarters. Much to be done indeed.  


* * *

Almost two weeks later to the day, Byleth and the others received an urgent report. A faction of the Imperial army was nearing the borders of Garreg Mach. The city and monastery were under attack, and the one leading the charge was Edelgard herself. Even having spent several preparing herself for this moment, Byleth was still shaken. She froze with disbelief, but it only lasted a short moment. Her shock left just as suddenly as she came. She steeled herself, as she always did, and headed out to the battlefield.

The Battle of Garreg Mach, as it would eventually come to be known, was long and bloody. Byleth and her students were tasked with protecting the Archbishop, as well as the main points of access to the monastery. Eventually, despite their technical disadvantage, they were able to drive back the Imperial forces that came in to invade. Unable to face Edelgard in battle herself, Byleth asked Catherine, one of the most skilled fighters under her command, to do so instead.

Just when the battle seemed to be won, as Catherine dealt a final blow that left Edelgard disarmed, those short, but powerful words left the former student’s lips.

“You have fought well. But now, your battle is over.”

Though Byleth wasn’t anywhere near Edelgard as she said those words, she heard them loud and clear. Whether it was by her increased power after fusing with Sothis, or some psychic-like connection to Edelgard, she did not know. And it did not matter. She gasped in horror all the same, much like she had when she saw Kronya drive the blade into her father’s back.

When her senses properly returned to her, she realized what was happening. She was standing atop a large hill overlooking the city. Just her and Rhea. The ground shook, and there was a consistent background noise of the hundreds of thousands of Imperial reserve troops pouring in. Byleth frowned as she looked down upon on them. It seemed that, as Edelgard had said, her battle was over. But she would not go down without a fight. She refused to. Her hand instinctively reached for the sheathed Sword of the Creator, and just as she was about to spring downwards, she felt Rhea’s gentle hand touch her shoulder.

She paused, frozen in place, and Rhea took several steps past and in front of her. She watched the charging troops for just a moment, before turning to Byleth again. Despite the situation they were in, she had that same serene smile on her face.

“Everybody here, young and old… is in your hands.”

Such a short statement, and yet, Byleth knew exactly what it meant. Rhea no longer needed to put her feelings into plain words for Byleth to understand them. With just that short sentence, Rhea was telling her so many things.

_I am entrusting you with the care and protection of those at Garreg Mach. We are at a crossroad, and things may never be the same again. Should something happen to me, you must protect them in my place._

_You may hate me after what you are about to see._

Byleth nodded solemnly. She turned, racing down the ramp, towards the students. She needed to help them evacuate.

Unbeknownst to her, Rhea remained, gazing down at the ground with an expression she had not worn in many, many years.

“No. I will not allow another Red Canyon tragedy to happen here.”

With that, she closed her eyes, and allowed the power of her crest to envelop her. Green light exuded from her body, and her transformation took place. Within a few short seconds, where there was once a demure-looking woman, was instead an enormous, terrifying white beast. Covered in white scales, donning four horns and batlike wings, the creature let out its roar of awakening.

Soldiers of the Imperial army trembled with fear as they saw the massive white dragon, that now flew through the sky and landed right in the midst of them. Energy built up within its core, then was released in flamethrower-like rays, destroyed anything and everything it came in contact with. Many terrified soldiers fled, refusing to stand up to such a thing. The tide seemed to have turned on the Empire, until several Demonic Beasts, clad in strange armor and masks, surrounded the white dragon.

Loud, guttural roars of pain thundered through the battlefield as the creature struggled against the Demonic Beasts that hounded it. Driven by an instinct that she could not control nor understand, Byleth ran in the opposite direction of the students that she was leading, towards that chaotic clash of unworld-like beings.

Upon seeing white scales and wings, close to being overwhelmed by those masked beasts, anger flared within Byleth’s core. She quickly unsheathed the Sword of the Creator, extending it to land a blow right onto the forehead of one of the beasts. No longer able to control itself, it fell onto the bottomless depth of the canyon that had opened up. The white dragon seized the opportunity, prying the other beasts off of its massive body.

Then, in that moment, it turned its attention to Byleth alone. It stood on its hind feet, towering several feet above Byleth. Its spread wings only added to how massive it seemed.

_“Why did you come?!”_ it demanded, in a loud, resounding voice that sounded vaguely like Rhea’s, though distorted in a most inhuman way.

Byleth had no time to process what had happened. She turned, feeling dark energy building up behind her. A tall man with skin pale as bones stood on top of a hill, surrounded by a small battalion of what appeared to be Imperial soldiers. He grinned, joined his hands together, and from there, dark magic of the most vicious kind manifested.

Byleth attempted to block it, counting on the Sword of the Creator to protect her as it always had, but it was no use. She was knocked back, and sharp, burning pain bore into her chest. The ground crumbled beneath her. She was losing her footing.

The last thing she could register was the white dragon letting out a long, angry, mournful roar, as she fell into a bottomless pit.

And then darkness. Yet again.

Darkness, and…


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> short, transitory chapter. covers the canon bits of Byleth awakening after the timeskip, and reuniting with Edelgard. it might hurt anyone else who likes both El and Rhea, if you're out there ( : 
> 
> so happy to see the support for this fic so far, though. ♡ I'm quite excited to get into the actual Silver Snow bit of it.

In the stillness, something stirred. Just slightly. Like being touched by a fingertip. Awareness returned to her slowly, so very slowly.

And then a voice.

“You… How long do you intend to sleep?”

_Sothis…?_

“Your body is awake. Your eyes must open now, and you must find the strength to stand upon those legs of yours.”

Though her eyes were still closed, and all she saw was darkness, she began to feel her body again. Steadily, bit by bit, her limbs began to awaken.

“Like so much rain, a pool of blood has fallen to the ground… As spears and arrows pierce the earth, it weeps… and even now, it weeps.”

Life itself was returning to her. As if someone, or something, was breathing it into her. A god, perhaps?

“In order to survive, they kill. And so, the people of this world are lost in an abyss of suffering. They weep as well.”

She longed to follow the sound of Sothis’ voice. But her body still felt so heavy.

“The only one who knows the true nature of such things is I… or rather, you.”

She wanted to move. Wanted to get up. But oh, how to even do so? When there was still such a weight on her chest…

“I’m still so sleepy…” she replied, though her lips didn’t move. She no longer needed to speak out loud in order to talk to Sothis, after all.

Sothis sighed in frustration, and then changed her tone entirely. The abruptness of it roused better Byleth than anything else ever could.

“...You are a complete and utter _fool!_ Have you not changed one bit?!”

Truly, nothing could brought Byleth back more effectively than Sothis chiding her.

“Get on your feet. Right now! I will coddle you no more! You are just like a child, always needing me to hold your hand…”

And then, finally, there was light.

When she came to, and opened her eyes, the face of an unknown man was looking down at her.

It felt strange to be awake and conscious. She did not know how long she had been dormant, but if the sensation in her body was any indication, it must have been an eternity. Though weary and disoriented, her mind was racing. Where were her students? What happened while she was absent? What of Edelgard? Of Rhea?

“Hey! A-are you awake?” said the man looking over her.

Byleth stood. “Where am I?”

The man informed her that five years had passed since the battle at Garreg Mach. The church was no longer at the monastery, and Fódlan was enveloped in war.

She clenched her fists at her side. War or no war, there must have been a reason why she awakened just before the day of the would-be Millenium Festival. Whether it was by fate, or her own accord, or Sothis’ will, she didn’t care.

“My students are waiting for me,” she told the man. She hardly heard him saying that there were no longer any students at the monastery, for she had already begun marching in its direction.  
  


* * *

Rather than a joyful, heartfelt reunion with her former Black Eagles, what Byleth got instead was a silent, desolate, partially destroyed monastery. It was so eerie, hearing the echoing sound of her heeled boots against the floor. The once lavish halls, filled with glimmering gold and silver and marble, were now gathering dust. Byleth wasn’t one to get sentimental about such things, but it still felt so doleful.

Instinctively, she made her way to the Goddess Tower. If she were to find anyone, she figured, then it would be there. She wasn’t sure why or how she knew it, but she did.

With each step that she climbed towards the Tower, her chest felt heavier. Dread bubbled up and spread itself through her, steadily, like clockwork. As white light began to pour in from the tallest floor, she hesitated to take those final steps.

Just as she’d feared, the one she saw there was none other than Edelgard.

Edelgard. Clad in regal red armor., complete with a golden, horned crown. She looked every inch the Emperor that Byleth knew she would eventually become. The sight was heartbreaking - much like that of Edelgard revealing herself as the Flame Emperor five years ago.

“Huh? It’s… it’s you!” Edelgard exclaimed. Part of Byleth; perhapst most of her, was so happy to see Edelgard, and yet her expression betrayed that feeling.

“What are you doing here?”

Byleth pursed lips, pausing for only a moment before answering.

“I came here for you.”

Edelgard’s eyes widened, like they would whenever she got surprised, or flustered. “For me…?” She cleared her throat. “Highly doubtful. So you were alive… What have you been doing all this time?”

Edelgard was very clearly trying to hold back her emotions. Even with the passage of those five years, it was clear that she could still not hide her true self from Byleth.

“I was sleeping,” Byleth said.

Mild surprise manifested on Edelgard’s face, then faded just as quickly. “Joking at a time like this… Well, if you don’t wish to tell me, I won’t try to persuade you,” she said. Byleth bit her lip.

“All that matters is this… Will you return to the Empire with me?”

She asked it so easily, as if it were such a simple manner. As if it weren’t one the heaviest questions that Byleth had ever been asked. She was asking if Byleth would choose her, just as Rhea had asked the same thing, that day in the Holy Tomb. Panic threatened to overtake Byleth, and Byleth could only just contain it.

She lowered her head. “I…”

Edelgard lowers hers, too. Like she was vaguely disappointed, but still unsurprised.

“Hesitation. It betrays your true answer.” And then she was frowning. Really frowning. Actually, it was more like a glare.

“That means… We are enemies now, you and I. My teacher… the time for discussion has come to an end!”

Once again, time seemed to freeze around her. When she managed to concentrate again, Edelgard was standing opposite to her, reaching for the sword at her side. She unseathed it, and Byleth was forced to do the same, even if only to protect herself.

Edelgard charged at her. She swung her sword, letting out a battle cry - and looked quite elegant doing so, too. But Byleth could tell that she was holding back. This brief clash of swords was purely symbolic. A sword wasn’t even Edelgard’s weapon of choice.

Still, it didn’t hurt any less.

“Even though our swords may cross as they do now,” said Edelgard, just before they took another step in their dance,

“There’s no denying that our chosen paths never will.”

She turned her back to Byleth, tucking the sword back into its sheathe. Without facing her, she spoke one final sentence.

“Goodbye, my teacher. When next we meet… one of us will breathe their last.”

And with that, she left. Byleth’s chest felt heavy. She had never, nor would she ever want to fight against Edelgard - but it seemed, now more than ever, that is was inevitable.

Her body shook a bit. She was still unused to these heavy, dark emotions. Still, she knew that she could not give into them. She had woken up for a reason, after all. Though she now knew Edelgard was at the very least unharmed, she still had yet to find her former students, and Rhea. With a sigh, she began to climb back down the steps of the Goddess Tower. Down from the happiness of her time as a professor, from her deep slumber, and into the reality of war.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chaos of War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love both Edelgard and Rhea and i'm in pain hahaaaa, in this essay i will-

The events that followed that night were a blur. She reunited with Seteth, first, then with the rest of the former Black Eagles. They were all so grown up. It brought her heart joy, seeing her adored former students not only alive and well, but thriving, each working hard everyday, fighting for what they believed in. She was so proud of them. If only Edelgard was there, too.

Even if she wasn’t, however, Byleth couldn’t help but be proud of her as well. She had grown into a powerful emperor, and was pursuing her objectives astonishingly well. Seteth had briefed her on what had happened while she was asleep, and she had been amazed, but not surprised. She had always known that Edelgard was destined for greatness. If only they weren’t on opposite ends of the battlefield.

Much as she wished that she could meet with Edelgard again - talk to her, discuss things with her, she knew that it wouldn’t amount to anything. It was as Edelgard had said five years ago at the Holy Tomb: she had chosen her path, and she must cut it. Byleth, too, had chosen hers. Even if it broke her heart, it was too late to turn back.

Byleth felt rather detached from the several battles that followed, guilty as she might have felt for having that sentiment. She and her former students, joined by the Knights of Seiros, had come to be known as the Resistance Army - the main force fighting back against the Empire, fighting under a flag donning the Crest of Flames. With Seteth as her advisor and right-hand man, much as he had been to Rhea in the past, she led several successful campaigns, in such key locations as Garreg Mach, the Great Bridge of Myrddin, Aillel, and Arianrhod. With the imperial forces largely pushed back, her army soon turned its helm towards the capital city of Enbarr.

When they met Judith von Daphnel at Aillel to exchange soldiers, she told them that she’d gained intelligence of Rhea being carried away by imperial forces. Everything seemed to indicate that she was being held prisoner in the capital.

It was difficult, before, for Byleth to find within herself the resolve needed to lead her forces to invade Enbarr. This is Edelgard’s home, she told herself. And the home of many of her former students. It hurt to come into it with an army, intending to conquer it. It hurt.

But every time she reminded herself of Rhea, she felt energy flaring through her veins, like fire. She remembered the last she saw of Rhea before she was swallowed by the dark abyss. The white dragon - that she now knew was called The Immaculate One - letting out a roar of grief, pain, and anger, just before it was overwhelmed by magic and demonic beasts. To think of her, whether in that form or in her human one, being hurt. Being taken. Dragged away and imprisoned somewhere.

To think that Rhea was out there, in some kind of cell, hurt and scared and alone, wondering if somebody would ever come for her. And, knowing her, she was probably thinking that nobody ever should.

The thought made Byleth’s blood boil. It made her _want_ to fight Edelgard. She might have even hated her.

She understood Edelgard’s motives. Her objectives. She really did. _But this isn’t the way_, she told herself, over and over. _This **isn’t** the way._

As she polished the Sword of the Creator the afternoon before they would march into Enbarr, she stared into the distance, grimacing. In the direction of Enbarr.

_I’m coming for you, Rhea. Wait for me, just a little bit longer._

* * *

The battle at Enbarr was harder than she could have ever imagined. She had no personal ties to the place, of course, but most of her allies did. Even Seteth and Flayn - or, perhaps, _especially_ Seteth and Flayn. For some reason, they seemed more attached to the city than anyone else.

Still, they fought on, driving out the imperial army, and finally facing their commander, Hubert. She had never been close to Hubert the way she was with her other Black Eagles, but it still hurt to see him stricken down. They had still been, if nothing else, comrades.

And then the way to the imperial palace was opened. Edelgard had shut herself off there, with every possible defense at the ready. Just waiting. Waiting for the inevitable showdown between her and Byleth.

With every soldier that she defeated - with every step she took towards the throne room, Byleth’s chest; no, her entire body felt heavier. She did not want to fight Edelgard - not even now, after everything. There was only one thing that kept her going.

_Rhea is here. Somewhere in this palace. She can probably hear the fighting going on, the clatter of the metal. She’s waiting for me._

Even so, nothing could have prepared her for what she felt fighting against Edelgard. Edelgard’s expression was angry, but it betrayed how she was truly feeling - and Byleth could see right through her. Every swing of her Aymr spoke more than a thousand words, or even a thousand expressions, ever could. When it clashed against her sword, Byleth could feel Edelgard’s heart. She didn’t want to be fighting her, either. Their battle was purely symbolic. Edelgard likely knew that she had lost a long time ago. Perhaps she knew it right from that day at the Holy Tomb, when Byleth chose to ally with Rhea instead of with her.

Her movements continued to be dextrous as always, as she and Edelgard fought, but her mind travelled somewhere far away.

What if she had chosen differently? Acted differently? Could she have prevented this fight? Prevented this war? The heartache that both she and Edelgard were feeling? Rhea’s cruel fate?

It took Aymr coming close enough to Byleth’s neck to draw a thin line of blood from it, to snap her out. Edelgard really was aiming for her throat.

They both turned, and the next time they swung their weapons, the Sword of the Creator flung Aymr onto the air, making it land several feet from Edelgard, far from her reach. In her desperation, she reached for the sword at her side, but her weary, weakened movements told all. She knew that her battle was over.

The throne room was eerily quiet when Byleth stood before her, sword in hand. Edelgard was kneeling, bracing herself against her sword. Her voice almost failing her, she told Byleth that if she must fall, then it must be by her hand. Byleth shut her eyes tight, and just before she brought down her sword, she barely registered Edelgard’s quiet final words.

_“I wanted… to walk with you…”_

* * *

Then there was darkness. Yet again. It was different, this time. Not as suffocating and all-encompassing as before, but blinding nonetheless. Seteth’s urgent-sounding voice brought her back to reality from it, though she couldn’t tell how much time had elapsed in between.

“Professor?? Professor!”

“H-Huh? What is it?”

“Did you hear me? This letter from Hubert says that it will lead us to where Rhea is being captive!”  
Byleth’s senses surged back to life. Like a spark of lightning magic, those words roused her body back to its most wide awake state. She turned to the imperial soldiers who had surrendered.

“Take me to her.”

They nodded, and she raced through the long corridors of the imperial palace, her army struggling to keep up with her.

She didn’t know how many floors they descended, but it must have been at least five. By the time they finally began walking forward, instead of going down staircases, they were in a dark, silent, desolate-feeling chamber. The air smelled of dust. The leading soldier lit an oil lamp, and they continued on, until a shape began to slowly manifest from within the darkness.

Metal bars, several feet tall, going from the floor to the roof. And a metal floor. And something else…

In the corner of it, a vaguely human-looking figure, curled within itself. Dressed in dirty, ragged white robes - if they could be called that. Mint-green hair, long and blanket-like, draped over it.

Byleth felt every cell in her body come alive with urgency.

“Rhea?!”

Everyone around her paused. She dropped her sword at her side, the sound of its fall reverberating throughout the mostly empty chamber.

“Rhea! Rhea!!”

She raced towards those metal bars, grabbing two of them and pressing her face in between them. The figure, that she now was certain to be Rhea, barely turned to look at her.

“Open this,” Byleth demanded. And when the imperial soldiers hesitated,

_“NOW!!!”_

Sounds of clattering metal were heard, and the lock to the entrance of the cage was undone. Without hesitating for a single moment, Byleth raced inside. She dropped to her knees, barely noticing how badly she scraped and cut them with the rough movement. Her hands desperately reached for the figure before her, pulling it onto her lap. The light of the lamps flickered to them, finally revealing the figure’s face.

Rhea. It really was her. In the flesh. Battered, beaten, full of scars and bruises. Deathly thin, and hardly dressed in a filthy garment. No longer the elegant, immaculate looks of the Archbishop that she once had… but it was her. It was her, and for the first time ever, her small, pointed ears were visible.

She gasped, looking up for a single second, and then threw herself onto Byleth. She braced herself against Byleth’s arms, and cried.

Her voice was fractured. Weary. But…

“You… You have come to save me,” she said. Byleth held her tightly, fighting to contain her tears.

“Is this… is this a dream? I have longed to see you again, all this time… is it truly you?”

Byleth nodded. She longed to remain there forever. Just the two of them. Just the two of them, in that small moment lost in time. But she knew it wasn’t possible. It wasn’t what Rhea would have wanted, either. As she held Rhea in her arms, she turned to Seteth, who was watching them. He nodded to her.

The time had finally come. She would finally know the truth. The truth about Sothis. About the Children of the Goddess.

About herself.

Yet still, even if it lasted but a mere moment longer… she lowered her head, and held Rhea just a little bit tighter. The only thing that comforted her, after all of the horrors that she had been through until now - was knowing that from now on, whatever came to pass - they would go through it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the most emotional part of the fic is yet to come. buckle up everyone


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silver Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hello, important note! I updated Chapter 2, because for some stupid reason, I skipped some 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 scenes when pasting it to AO3. I know, I'm an idiot. but pleeeeease pretty please check back before coming back to read this one! thank you ily 
> 
> phew we made it. this covers the last of the canon story. the final chapter will be the S-Support, and what comes after it. wink wonk. 
> 
> thank you so much for reading and for your support thus far ♡

The letter they received from Hubert following the fall of Enbarr contained more than just the whereabouts of Rhea. In it, there was crucial information about the common enemy that the Empire, the Church, and all of Fódlan faced: Those Who Slither in the Dark. On the back of the page was a map leading to the location of their secret underground city: Shambhala. Hubert’s words on the paper pleaded for them to take on the mission of destroying that enemy in the Empire’s stead, should it come to fall.

Those people, Rhea had told her, had existed for millenia. Their presence in Fódlan predated even the history of Adrestia. They had once coexisted peacefully with the Nabateans - which she now knew was the name given to the race known as the Children of the Goddess - and with the other Fódlan natives. However, as time went by, they grew to hate the Nabateans, as well as the people who allied themselves with them. Who were loyal to the Goddess. Using the very same power and technology granted to them by Sothis, they sought to elevate themselves to their own sort of godhood. It was by their twisted plot that Nemesis rose to power, first assassinating Sothis, and then slaughtering all of the Nabateans in the war that followed. All, save for the Four Saints… and Seiros.

“They are called the Agarthans,” Rhea had told her. “Or at least, that was the name they called themselves all those centuries ago.” Following Seiros’ defeat of Nemesis, and her victory in the war, she and her army drove out the Agarthans, so that they may not threaten the peace of Fódlan again. Their remnants hid underground, sullen and embittered, vowing to take revenge on the Goddess and her followers. Their plan, as it was clear now, spanned over more than a thousand years.

“Those people have been attempting to undermine the peace and order in Fódlan all of these years. The Church attempted to intercept them at every turn, but they always worked in the shadows, vanishing just as suddenly as they appeared. It seems that Edelgard was the true key in their long-term plan to destroy us,” Seteth said as they marched to Shambhala, following the path outlined in Hubert’s map.

“I don’t understand,” Byleth said. “Why would Edelgard work with such awful people?”

“I believe that she saw in them an opportunity to achieve her goals. She intended to make use of their power and technology, then busy herself with destroying them after the war in Fódlan was won,” Rhea said, walking steadily beside her.

“She knew all along, didn’t she,” Byleth said. “She knew that she was their pawn.”

“Of course. But she was using them, just as much - if not more - than they were using her. Her advisors often interrogated me for information about them and their technology. She hoped that it would prove useful when the time came to eliminate them.”

That took Byleth by surprise. Her eyes widened. “She… what? They interrogated you?”

Byleth shuddered as she thought of what that may entail. She knew that Rhea would not happily cooperate with the Empire’s forces. If they needed information from her that badly, and she was imprisoned… What could they have…

_Oh, gods._

“That’s why they kept you alive.”

Rhea nodded.

It made perfect sense. Byleth had wondered, before, what reason Edelgard could have to keep Rhea alive. Killing the archbishop would be of paramount importance to putting an end to the Church, as Edelgard had declared that she intended to do. She was not only a religious and political leader, but a figurehead - a symbol of the people’s faith, a pillar of hope. Publicly executing her was imperative if Edelgard wanted to sway the people in her direction.

But that was why they didn’t do so. They needed Rhea’s knowledge, and perhaps even her power, if they were to put an end to Those Who Slither in the Dark.

Byleth clenched her fists at her side. She could feel her body trembling.

“How could she do this.”

“It was what she believed must be done in order to achieve her objectives,” Rhea said matter-of-factly. Byleth turned to her, hardly believing what she was hearing.

“Rhea…”

She remembered how much Rhea had hated Edelgard in the past. Every time she spoke to or of her, she used that wrathful, resounding voice. What could possibly have caused this change? Shouldn’t she be even more resentful, after she had been imprisoned, interrogated, and likely tortured, for five years? Clearly, Rhea’s imprisonment had affected her more than she was letting on. Self-sacrificial, as always.

Byleth feared for what was coming. Rhea claimed to be well enough to accompany them to Shambhala, insisting that she must be there for the confrontation, but Byleth knew that she was putting on a front. She was quite well versed at it, after all. Yet after those long years spent as a prisoner, there was no way that Rhea’s strength was recovered enough for this endeavor - especially if their enemy was truly so terrifying. Byleth bit her lip.

“You shouldn’t have come with us. You should have stayed at the monastery to rest.”

Rhea stopped, turning to her.

“I already told you, dear one. It is imperative that I accompany you all on this battle. After all, I…”

She paused. “Never mind. It is not the time yet. For now, suffice for you to know that I must be here for this.”

Byleth looked away. Her eyes, usually rather inexpressive, gave away her uncertainty. Rhea took a step forward and reached for her hand, smiling.

“All will be well soon, dear one. You must trust me.”

Despite the alarms sounding in her head, Byleth nodded. She squeezed Rhea’s hand, and they continued their march.  
  


* * *

The place where they arrived upon reaching their destination was the most eerie that Byleth had ever seen.

An underground city where the light of the sun didn’t reach, and that was illuminated instead by mysterious, artificial light that had a blue color and fluorescent glow to it. Everything there seemed to be made of some sort of metal; the architecture was all geometrical. Nothing like anything she had come across in Fódlan before. Quite fitting, it seemed, for a place that housed a people wielding ancient technology.

Her students were mystified, and likely a bit afraid of their surroundings; yet still, as Byleth had come to expect of them, they bravely continued forward, ready to face yet another challenge in their mission of bringing peace to Fódlan. After a brief gathering, they all continued walking… except for Rhea, who stood still, looking up at the ceiling.

“Something on your mind?” Byleth asked.

“No. It is simply… We must defeat those who slither in the dark, no matter what happens. But, if my conjecture is correct, the one they will wish to kill the most…” she turned to her, “is you, dear child.”

Byleth shivered. “Why me?”

“They are aware that you can use the Sword of the Creator. Your body houses the same power as that of Nemesis. That is why I must protect you, no matter what. Even if I must die to do so.”

As the words left Rhea’s lips, a wave of exasperation washed over Byleth. _Don’t say that. Don’t say that!_

“I… don’t understand.”

“Somewhere in your heart, I believe you do understand.” Rhea’s voice was quiet and raspy as she spoke. “You must at least have your suspicions. There is something I have not yet told you, dear one. I swear to illuminate you once this awful battle has concluded. And at the same time… I will offer my apologies to you.”

Byleth’s blood ran cold.

“I must, because… When you learn the truth, you will also learn what you are. And how you were born to this world.”

Rhea sounded genuinely somber. Afraid. She spoke the way a parent might do to their child about death.

“It will be a hard truth to hear,” she continued. “When the time comes, I hope you are prepared for it.”  
She gave little away, but there was much that went unspoken with her short words. There was a sort of finality to them. Like she knew that everything would soon change forever. It made Byleth terrified, but as always, she knew that she must steel her emotions. A decisive battle was ahead of them. If she was to protect her friends and allies - protect Rhea - then she could not falter. She inhaled, squeezed the hilt of the Sword of the Creator, and pressed forward.  


* * *

Though Rhea accompanied the army to the battlefield, offering advice and sharing what she knew of the Agarthans, she did not participate in the battle itself - which she finally agreed to, after much convincing by Byleth and Seteth. They were thankful to have her, too, as she was the only one who could provide at least some insight about the enemy they were facing.

The technology that these people used was truly astonishing. They had turrets that operated completely by themselves, without the need to be controlled by a person, and that could fire magic (was it magic? Or was that technology, too?) at a specifically selected target. The floors and walls were all equipped with mechanisms that could change the walkable paths entirely, or even conceal secret rooms.

Byleth felt herself be overcome with rage at the sight of Thales. He had concealed himself in the very back of one of the hidden rooms, but now, there was nowhere he could run. Byleth drew her sword, and he taunted her with his words.

“So you have shown yourself, Fell Star. Or should I say… Sothis.”

He spoke of how spilling her blood would fulfill the longstanding goal of the Agarthans. Of how he and his kind would finally have their revenge.

All of it served only to fuel her wrath further. Thales hardly had a chance to defend himself, before he was struck down by the Sword of the Creator, and left unarmed.

The man groaned, hunching over and clutching at his chest. He took several steps back, appearing to want to run. Byleth and Rhea, who had come running from the army’s rear to confront him, watched him with fire in their eyes. He spoke again.

“You will never… get to enjoy your victory.”

He lowered his hand to the floor, and with the contact, the pattern etched into the ground was filled with purple light, revealing a mysterious symbol. Rhea was taken aback.  
  
“It can’t be…!”

Thales continued. “For all Agarthans… let there be light!”

And with that, purple light shot up into the sky. Rhea gasped with horror. Flocks of birds were seen flying overhead, fleeing the scene. Just like at Fort Merceus, pillars of light began to fall from the sky. They came directly in the direction of Shambhala. Thales intended to destroy himself, and everything there, if it meant eliminating Byleth, Rhea, and the others.

When the first blow struck, there was a massive explosion that destroyed part of the structure they were in. Byleth and Rhea ran for cover, but Thales remained exactly where he was, not attempting to escape the rock and metal crumbling over him. From the hole in the ceiling, they were able to see many more pillars of light beginning to form. It would destroy the entire city, and more.

Rhea leapt forward, exhibiting extraordinary strength and agility for one that was still recovering. Jumping from one fallen rock to another, she took one final leap into the sky. Her body was enveloped by that green light, and when it faded, her form was replaced by that of The Immaculate One, its massive wings spread and propelling her into the sky, straight toward the column of light.

_Don’t!_ Byleth was shouting inwardly. Rhea - The Immaculate One - cast its power, exploding the mysterious weapon before it could land and cause its destruction.

_No. No. You can’t do this. You’re still too weak!_

But the creature flew through the sky, releasing power and destroying as many of the pillars of light as it could. Byleth watched from the ground, powerless, as the combined explosions began to envelop The Immaculate One’s body. The creature let out a guttural roar of pain, the heat of the fire tearing into its skin and drawing green-colored blood.

She disappeared as the last of the explosions dissipated. Most of the structure of Shambhala was destroyed, but Byleth did not run. She saw Thales beneath the rubble, lifeless. And, on the other end of the room… Rhea. Back in her human form, laying still. Byleth dropped her sword and rushed to her side, dropping to her knees and gathering her in her arms, much as she had when she found Rhea in the Imperial palace.

It was amazing. Even critically injured, covered in dust and in her own blood, Rhea was beautiful. Her expression excluded peace and calm, as always. As Byleth held her, she opened her eyes, and gave her a serene smile for just a brief moment, before closing them again, slipping out of consciousness.

* * *

Manuela and several other healers worked on Rhea for many long hours before they reported back with any news. Byleth stood outside the door the entire time, refusing to leave, and ignoring the others’ pleas for her to rest. When Manuela finally walked out, she informed her that Rhea’s injuries were serious. She could not tell how much longer she would be able to stay alive. Byleth felt her chest grow heavy. She was dizzy, and slightly short of breath.

She turned to Seteth and Flayn.

Seteth, at last, told her the truth about himself, Flayn, and Rhea. They were three of the last remaining children of the goddess, and had been protecting Garreg Mach, and all of Fódlan, for a very long time.

And… he told her that the light of Rhea’s life was on the verge of disappearing from this world. It was flickering.

Byleth bit her lip, and fought the tears that threatened to escape her eyes.

They asked her if she would carry on Rhea’s work. She needn't necessarily become the archbishop, they said, but Fódlan needed leadership. The people would need someone to guide them, heal them. Just as Seiros had all those years ago, after the War of Heroes.

Byleth couldn’t give them an answer. She knew that they were right, but… she refused to accept that Rhea was gone. _There must be a way,_ she told herself over and over. _There must be._

That night, before she retired to her room, she visited Rhea in her quarters. Manuela informed her that, for now, she was under a deep sleep, and would likely remain that way for several days.

She stood over her bed, watching her. Rhea looked so peaceful, just as she had when Byleth held her after the standoff at Shambhala. Always so peaceful. Holding back tears, Byleth reached for her hand, and shuddered upon noticing that her skin wasn’t as warm as it was before.

“Rhea…” she spoke to the silence of the room.

There was much that she wanted to say. _Why did you sacrifice yourself like that? Why couldn’t you just have run? What am I supposed to do now? The people of Fódlan will look to me for leadership, but how can I do that by myself? Without you? How am I supposed to go on, without you?_

The questions rang over and over in her head, even if she knew perfectly well the answer to most of them. She knew why Rhea sacrificed herself at Shambhala, but certainly not how she would carry on now.

“You had always guided me before,” she said aloud. “I wish you were here to guide me now.”

She sniffled, and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Rhea’s forehead.

“Please, Rhea… Come back to me soon.”  
  


* * *

Knowing that the next few days would be decisive to her fate, Byleth decided to head down to the cemetery, and pay a visit to her mother. On her way there, she stopped at the greenhouse, picked some of the most beautiful flowers, and arranged them into an elegant bouquet.

She placed the flowers at her mother’s tombstone, kneeled, and prayed. In that silence, she remembered the words her father had said to her a long time ago.

_“One day, I hope you’ll give this ring to someone you love, as well as I love her.”_

Byleth remembered the ring that she had been gifted by him, and was now sitting in a little pouch in her pocket. For some reason, she'd felt compelled to bring it with her when she came here. She brought it out of her pocket, and placed it on the palm of her hand. The beautiful gem glittered in the light of the late afternoon sun.

_Someone I love…_

She didn’t even need to hesitate. Her heart spoke loud and clear to her. She stood up, bid farewell to her mother, and began her way back to the monastery.

_I wish to spend my life with Rhea._  
  


* * *

Two days later, Seteth and Flayn came to inform her that Rhea was awake. She was weak, and it was uncertain if she would remain that way much longer, but she was awake. It seemed that the time had finally come. She nodded, and asked them to take her to her.

They found Rhea walking just outside the monastery, seeming to be admiring the flowers. She turned to them upon hearing their footsteps.

“Sweet child… you have finally come. I am so happy. It does my heart well to see you here, safe and sound.”

Flayn repeated the question she had made to Byleth before. About whether she would become the next ruler of Fódlan.

“Before I hear your answer,” Rhea said, “I shall fulfil my promise to you. You will know the truth about your identity. I will hold nothing back.”

Within just a few short seconds, many truths were revealed to Byleth. Rhea had created her, with the intention of bringing Sothis back to this world. Had transferred the Crest Stone carrying the Crest of Flames from her mother and into her infant self, fulfilling her mother’s final wish to save her life.

Rhea’s voice was weary as she spoke. Weary, mournful, and utterly guilt-ridden. She apologized for what she had done, and then…

“My dearest wish could not come true… but here you are. You alone wield the power of the progenitor god. You must use that power to save Fódlan. You must…”

But before Rhea could finish her sentence, she paused. Byleth heard a pulse-like sound. Her vision went white for a few seconds, and when it returned, Rhea was on the verge of collapsing.

Green light enveloped her body, and a distorted shout was heard.

“Rhea? Rhea!!” Seteth shouted.

“What is wrong?? Please, calm yourself, Rhea!” followed Flayn.

She had transformed into The Immaculate One again, but this time was different from the others. The transformation was not of her own will. Her body was too weak to control the power of her crest. She was out of control, and speared into a rampage which, Seteth told her, would destroy all of Fódlan if left alone. They had no choice but to kill The Immaculate One. To kill Rhea.

White beasts appeared all over Garreg Mach. Many soldiers and former knights were also rampaging. The battlefield eerily resembled the last time they defended the place against invaders, only this time, they were working their way in rather than out. And it was The Immaculate One herself who stood in the center, its eyes now turned red with blind ire.

Byleth looked up at the sky, from which tiny crystals of green light were coming down, like snowflakes. A single tear fell from her eye, but she wiped it away. She would fulfil Rhea’s final plea to her. Even if it broke her heart beyond repair.

She held tightly onto the Sword of the Creator.

_I will honor your plea, Rhea. I promise._  


* * *

The battle they fought was long and bloody. Both she and her allies narrowly avoided many fatal blows as they defended themselves against attacks by rampaging soldiers, white beasts, and even golems. The giant dolls seemed to appear out of nowhere, as if summoned by The Immaculate One’s roars.

With every step she took towards the center of the battlefield - towards The Immaculate One, Byleth’s feet seemed to grow heavier. The last thing she ever wanted to do was point her sword towards it. But she had no choice.

With the support of her friends and allies, she once again powered through the battle. All of them were at her side when she finally stood face-to-face with The Immaculate One. It looked different than it did before - now its scales were covered in intermittent bits of orange-red, as if they had been dipped in fire. Seteth said that not even he had seen this form before. It was painful to look at. Byleth could see the pain hidden behind the creature’s frenzied eyes.

Together, bit by bit, Byleth and her allies began to weaken it. For some reason, every time it struck back after being dealt a blow, the power it released was… minute, compared to what she knew it was capable of. It was as if, somehow, Rhea’s conscience was making it hold back. Like she was fighting against the power that overwhelmed her. Protecting them, even now. Even like this.

When it seemed that the creature was finally using the last of its strength, Byleth exchanged looks with Seteth and Flayn. They were Rhea’s family. It was their right - their duty, to end Rhea’s pain.

The three of them dealt one simultaneous, coordinated blow. With it, The Immaculate one roared, its massive body flailing about once, twice, before finally dropping to the ground. But… it was not dead. It still breathed.

“Rhea!” Seteth shouted. “Rhea, please!”

The creature stood up again, shook its head, spread its wings and took off into the sky. Byleth immediately turned to follow it, ignoring the ones cautioning her that it could be dangerous.

As it flew towards the monastery, its flight was heavy and labored, like it could come tumbling to the ground at any second. Even from such a distance, Byleth could hear its anguished, painful growls. It swerved through the towers of the monastery, towards the cathedral. Flying through the hole in the ceiling, the creature landed just as Byleth was able to run inside. Its head facing the sky, it let out one final roar, before dropping to the ground.

Byleth watched in awe as it began to disappear before her eyes, its silver scales floating upward towards the sky. There was a blinding flash of light, and from it, emerged Rhea’s human form. Dressed once again in her Archbishop robes - although dirty and bloodied - she floated slowly downwards, like an angel.

Byleth ran to her, catching her gently in her arms. She was so… light. Rhea shifted a bit, then opened her eyes, and gave her that familiar, tender smile.

“You’re here, mother…”

When her eyes closed again, tears instantly began to pour from Byleth’s eyes. She feared that she had truly lost her forever. Until… she heard something. A sound of a pulse… a heartbeat?

She leaned down, and pressed her cheek against Rhea’s chest.

Her heart was beating.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> love kindled.

The war was over.

Finally, after nearly six years of chaos, blood, and strife, the continent was once again at peace. And, for the first time in almost one thousand years, it was no longer divided. All of its people could look to a new dawn together, as one, under the newly declared United Kingdom of Fódlan. The restoration process would be long and slow. There was much political reform to be done. The hearts of the people would need to be healed.

But at least there was peace.

For all of the jubilation going on around her, Byleth had to admit to herself that she didn’t quite share that overwhelming joy. Perhaps her heart was still too traumatized after what happened - or rather, almost happened.

Flayn told her that, by all accounts, Rhea should have died. Neither she, not her father, nor the dozens of veteran healers and scholars from all over Fódlan could explain how she survived her ordeal. The Immaculate One was no more, and yet, Rhea remained. “It is nothing short of miraculous,” Flayn had said.

There was much speculation was to what it was that allowed Rhea to survive. Divine protection, some claimed. The goddess herself had stepped in and saved her life. Others believed that her power was so great that she could never be slain by human hands. Others contemplated if she could die at all.

Whatever the reason was, Byleth didn’t care. Rhea was alive, and that was what mattered.

The monastery at Garreg Mach was particularly lively during one afternoon of the Great Tree Moon. They were celebrating the very first Unification Day festivities. Of course, it wasn’t the exact day of the unification of Fódlan, but it was decided that the occasion should be celebrated during a time when the fertile soils, the blooming flowers, and the pleasant weather were ushering a soon-to-come new year.

Byleth could still hear the music, the cheerful chatter, and the clitter-clatter of plates and cups and utensils in the distance when she came to pay yet another visit to the cemetery. This time, she brought flowers not only for her mother, but for every former friend and comrade she had known, that perished during the war. She spent a particularly long moment at the grave of Edelgard, upon which she laid a bouquet of carnations before saying a sincere, heartfelt prayer. She prayed that Edelgard’s soul may find peace and respite. That perhaps, should they meet again in another life, things may turn out differently.  
It was close to five in the afternoon when she returned to her old personal quarters at the monastery, alone. She was to take on a much higher position now, of course, but it would be hard to say goodbye to this place._ Perhaps I don’t have to_, she thought. _It’s my decision after all, isn’t it?_

She looked about the room, running a fingertip gently through the spines of the books on one of her shelves. Then, something on her desk caught her eye. A piece of paper that wasn’t there the last time she was here. Curious, she lifted it up, and opened it. On it were just a few short words, written in neat cursive and green ink. Her eyes widened, and her body shook a bit.

_“I know that you will likely be quite busy today, but if you can,_

_Meet me at the Goddess Tower, before the sun sets. There is something important I must tell you._

_I will be waiting, dear one._

_Yours,_

_Rhea.”_

Byleth swallowed, feeling that now-familiar spark coarse through her veins. Rhea had never written anything to her before. Her script was… pretty. And was that a scent of lavender coming from the paper?

They hadn’t spoken to each other for a few days, now. Byleth had been so busy with meeting after meeting, not to mention various celebrations. She’d longed to see Rhea again, of course, but it almost… It almost felt forbidden. She was finally free to see Rhea when she wanted, for as long as she wanted, and she felt unworthy of it. Why…?

She cleared her throat, closed the door behind her, and headed for the Goddess Tower.

* * *

Byleth climbed the steps far slower than usual. She was nervous, and hesitant; both so uncharacteristic of her. Her heart was not beating, and yet she could have sworn that it may leap out of her chest at any moment. There was a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach, like something there was dancing. Her breath was stolen was she caught sight of Rhea - first her back, then her face, which slowly turned to face her. She was smiling.

She extended a hand out to Byleth, and the image was so familiar. She had done the same, years ago, when they danced together the night of the ball. Byleth took her hand once again.

With a voice that bordered on tearful, Rhea asked if it was wrong of her to be happy that she escaped death.

“You should be happy,” Byleth said. She didn’t even hesitate.

Rhea spoke of many things. Her fear that Byleth may not see her the same way after witnessing her other form. That she was no longer qualified to lead the people. That she hated herself for doing what she did - all of it. That she doubted whether she even deserved to live.

“You are aware that it is my fault your fate has been so cruel… are you not?”

“I am,” Byleth said.

For so many years, Rhea had hidden things from her. Spoken in half-truths, if not to protect her, then to protect herself, and her own goals. But now, she spoke plainly, holding nothing back. She admitted to wanting Byleth to become the embodiment of Sothis. That it had been her plan to bring peace back to Fódlan, as well as ease the ache in her heart that had been burning her for over a thousand years. But...

“But that has changed,” she said. “I wish only for you to be yourself… and to have you by my side.”

She presented her with a ring. A ring with a glittering gem in the middle - green, just like their hair, and their eyes. Byleth suppressed a gasp.

“I love you. Dearly. And so I must ask… Will you accept this ring? If you feel the same… then I would like nothing more, than to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Byleth smiled wide. Wider than perhaps she ever had before. She reached into her pocket, and took out something that she had been saving for this moment for a long time.

Rhea seemed to be holding herself back. She nearly cried with joy. And Byleth felt something bubbling inside of her. Happiness. Happiness so great, so overpowering, that she could just burst. She could climb atop the highest mountain and scream from the top of her lungs. Still, she contained herself, continuing to watch Rhea whilst she probably wore the silliest of smiles on her face.

Rhea took her hand again.

“No matter what obstacles we should encounter, I believe that our bond— No. Rather our love. I believe that our love… can overcome all. Together, we can achieve anything. With our love, we will make Fódlan’s future as bright as the stars in the sky.”

They stood like that for a long moment. Rhea clutching her hand with both of hers, and their foreheads pressed together. Finally, after all this time, they were truly…

“Oh, my darling,” Rhea said, pulling away a bit. “Are you alright?”

Byleth didn’t realize that she’d been crying. “Oh, yes, I just. Rhea, I’m sorry. I—”

She sniffled, and Rhea gently wiped away her tears.

“You know… This is the second time I have seen you cry. The first was when—”

“—when I held you as you were falling,” Byleth finished for her. Rhea smiled.

“Yes. Exactly.”

Byleth threw her arms around her. She didn’t care about containing her emotions anymore. All of this was so utterly new to her, but she had never felt so happy in her life. So complete. Rhea held her as she laughed - giggled, rather, into her neck.

“I love you, Rhea.”

“And I you, my sweet one.”

Both of them turned to their right. The setting sun was bathing both them in warm, golden light. As if giving them a blessing of its own kind. Byleth rested her head against Rhea’s shoulder, and Rhea weaved her fingers into her hair, gently stroking it.

“We ought to tell the others,” Rhea said.

“Mm. Not yet. Too soon,” Byleth said.

“Oh?”

Byleth looked up, into her eyes. “I think I want to keep you all to myself for a while.”

Rhea laughed, gently tucking a stray piece of Byleth’s hair behind her hair. “Since when have you been so selfish, my love?”

…

_My love_. Hearing Rhea call her that hit Byleth like cupid’s arrow. She didn’t even notice that she’d frozen until Rhea spoke to her again, a grin on her face. “Floated away to the stars, have you?”

Byleth blinked. “Rhea, I—”

Rhea pressed two of her fingers to Byleth’s lips, shushing her. When Byleth closed her mouth, she withdrew them very slowly, looking deeply into Byleth’s eyes.

Byleth’s gaze drifted down to Rhea’s lips. Lips that looked so pretty, so soft, and that were so tantalizingly close.

As always, Rhea seemed to be able to read her mind. She cupped Byleth’s chin in her fingers, tilted it up, and kissed her.

Byleth closed her eyes, but she thought she could see stars. Could see all sorts of shapes and colors exploding in front of her, like a painting come to life. It wasn’t as if she’d never been kissed before, but this sensation was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Her entire body felt enveloped in warmth, and something else, too. Something that she had read about in such things as novels and poetry, but had never even come close to experiencing before. An intense, fiery sort of energy. A sensation that took over her entire body, and made her acutely aware of just how _alive_ she was.

Rhea was about to draw back for a moment, but Byleth clutched at her lips with hers, pulling her back in. One of her hands weaved into Rhea’s long hair - careful to not undo her headpiece’s many ornaments, of course - and closed into a fist. She parted her lips just so, and had to suppress a little moan when Rhea’s tongue touched her own.

It was their first kiss, and yet their movements matched each other, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Their lips opened and closed, their tongues wound together in effortless, intoxicating synchronization.

  
Byleth’s blood burned hot inside of her, all of a sudden. She was overcome with a sensation that felt so intense, so primal and almost animalistic. She wanted - _needed_ \- more of Rhea. More of her lips, her tongue, her… everything. The precipitous craving to have Rhea - to touch her, feel her, taste her, was overwhelming. Before she could register it, they were kissing so deeply and intensely, with their mouths wide open and each with a fistful of the other’s hair in hand. It was just as she was beginning to truly lose herself in the moment, that Rhea suddenly pulled away.

Their lips made a wet sort of sound as they separated, and Byleth could not help but notice the thin, clear trail of saliva that formed between them. Instinctively, she hooked a finger around it, and then brought that finger into her mouth. Rhea watched, visibly flustered, her hair messy, and her breathing heavy.

“My love, we… We are still— out in the open—”

“Rhea.” Byleth took a small step closer to her again. “Rhea, please. I need to be alone with you.”

Rhea took her hand, entwined their fingers together, and the coldness of the rings on their fingers nearly made Byleth jump. “Come with me, then.”

Byleth nodded, and followed her as Rhea led her from the Terrace, and to her quarters. As they walked together, hand-in-hand, Byleth felt as if her heart, unbeating as it was, could leap right out of her chest.

* * *

Byleth barely registered the transition, but before she knew it, she was in Rhea’s room, doors locked behind them, and Rhea had arms around her again. They kissed, and this time the added intimacy of being alone made Byleth feel hot.

Byleth encircled Rhea’s neck with her arms, ran her fingers into their hair. They were so close, but somehow also not close enough. Almost unconsciously, she began to tug at Rhea’s robes.

Rhea pulled away. Byleth watched her as she sat on the edge of her bed, and carefully undid the various little clasps that held together her head ornament. As she pulled the elaborate gold piece from her head, something stirred within Byleth. After that, her long cape followed. When that came off too, Rhea was left only in her white dress… and the white flowers in her hair. Such a simple gesture, and yet it felt so heavy, even symbolic. Rhea was baring herself before Byleth, shedding her Archbishop persona, and appearing before her simply as Rhea. As a woman.

Rhea was flushing ever so slightly - only a subtle tinge of pink to her fair complexion. It made Byleth smile. She reached for her own cape and undid that, too. Her knee brace. The dagger at her waist. Then Rhea watched as she came close, stopping when she was standing at the foot of the bed, in front of Rhea. She looked into her eyes, and then slowly, carefully, reached for the jasmine flower hooked behind Rhea’s right ear. Rhea’s breath caught, and Byleth paused, searching her eyes. Asking for permission. Rhea granted it with just the slightest of nods.

Byleth moved a piece of Rhea’s hair, and carefully took the flower in her fingers. She removed it, and placed it on the bed beside her.

From behind Rhea’s hair, a piece of her ear peaked out. A small, distinctively pointed ear. One of the many tiny, tiny signs that Rhea wasn’t human. Rhea was tense, and Byleth could tell that this moment was crucial for her.

Carefully, but still very much sure of herself, Byleth brushed away Rhea’s hair so that it was behind her shoulder, and kissed the tip of her ear.

Rhea trembled. She took in a heavy, audible breath, and her entire body reacted. Byleth kissed it again, and again, and then licked a slow line up the pointed shell of that ear. A simple gesture, yet Byleth intended for it to convey a strong message.

_I love you. Every inch of you. Exactly as you are._

Rhea brought a hand to the back of Byleth’s neck.

“My love. Is this truly… okay?”

Byleth pulled away, looking into her eyes again. Her mint green gaze was intense.

“Rhea. I want to love all of you.”

Rhea kissed her again. They kissed long and deep, letting their emotions flow through their lips and tongue.

Then, Rhea shed her white dress. Her breasts were bare for Byleth’s scrutiny, and she was left in nothing but her white cotton panties.

Byleth paused, and it felt like the entire world froze around her. She was entranced by what she saw. Admittedly, she might have imagined once (or twice, or three times, or--) what Rhea’s chest might look like beneath those robes. But this…

She was entranced.

Rhea brushed her hair out of the way and arched her back, as if to show off. Byleth slow blinked.

“Rhea…”

Rhea just watched her, saying nothing. With the way she was looking at her, there might as well have been fire in her eyes.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” Byleth said.

She cupped Rhea’s breasts with both of her hands, and Rhea moaned. The sound was absolutely entrancing. Like the most pleasant note of the sweetest music.

They kept kissing, separating only when they needed to, as they shed the rest of each other’s clothes. Soon, they were nude, embracing each other and filling the silence of the room with nothing but the wet sounds of their lips opening and closing around each other. Their hair splattered the white sheets with differing shades of green. And, more importantly, they were together at last. Joined in the most intimate way two women could be - with their limbs tangled and their love fueling every movement.

“Rhea,” Byleth breathed, only just able to catch her breath, as they went about their dance. “Rhea, I love you.”

Rhea bit at her collarbone in response. Bit, licked, and sucked. She knew it’d leave a mark. She wanted it to. _You’re mine_, she thought. Not because she had made it so, but because Byleth willingly gave herself. _You’re mine._

Somewhere along their chaotic, blissful, mind-blowing dance, Rhea had pinned Byleth down, and was kneeling in front of her. She licked a long, slow path from her navel, up her abdomen, past her collarbone and neck, and to her ear. Byleth shivered as Rhea’s fang-like teeth nibbled on the tip of her ear.

“Rhea,” Byleth moaned. “Oh, Rhea.” Her nails ran up Rhea’s back.

“Yes? What is it, my love? Tell me.”

“Touch me, _please.”_

Rhea’s fingers parted Byleth’s lips. Spread them open, and touched the warm, slick wetness beneath them.

“Touch you where? Here?”

She only just brushed over Byleth’s clit with her thumb, and Byleth shook.

“Yes. _Yes.”_

“Mmm.”

Rhea looked down, admiring her handiwork. Byleth’s pretty body, her legs spread open for her, her womanhood gushing arousal onto her fingers.

“Byleth... Have you done this before?”

“N-Not with—anyone else—”

“Truly? You’ve never-”

“No. I’ve- I’ve touched myself, but— oh, gods—”

She writhed as Rhea quickened the movement of her thumb, beginning to draw quick, tiny circles onto Byleth’s clit. She took in the body quivering before her.

“Is that so… Am I truly your first? Has nobody else seen you like this before?”

She quickened them again.

“No, nobody— oh, _gods, Rhea—”_

“That’s right, my love,” Rhea cooed. “Oh, I can feel you tensing around me. Do you like this?”

“Rhea. Rhea,” Byleth’s voice gave away that she was on the verge of crying. “Rhea, _please.”_

Just moments after, something came over Byleth. Something she had never experienced before. She had brought herself to orgasm on her own, but it was nothing like this. She felt as though her body, her mind; hell, her entire existence, had exploded and become some kind of supernova of pleasure. She screamed, and only barely registered her hips thrusting wildly against Rhea’s hand.

And then she and Rhea were kissing again. This time, she could taste her own arousal upon Rhea’s tongue. They were both moaning. She clutched at Rhea’s body, trying to pull her closer. Like no matter what, they could never be close enough.

“I love you,” Byleth whispered.

“I love you so much. I never want to be apart from you again.”

Rhea kissed her back. Kissed her lips, her jaw, her neck, her cheek. “You needn’t be. I am here.”

They repositioned themselves. This time, they lay across from each other, so that their only point of contact was their hips. And their clits, which were rubbing deliciously together.

“Oh, Goddess—”

Byleth would have never thought such pleasure was possible. She felt like she could almost choke, both from the insane physical pleasure she was feeling - as her and Rhea’s wet cores slid against one another - and the emotional glee. Never would she have thought it possible to feel so fulfilled on every possible level.

But how could she think so philosophically, when Rhea was across from her, desperately grinding their bodies together, with that absolutely delectable, borderline hypnotised look on her face?

“My love— mm— ah— Byleth, oh, I love you—”

“I love you, Rhea—”

They kept going, every second making the moment more intense. Eventually, they climaxed together. Rhea was absolutely gorgeous when she came. She cried out in a note that was almost musical, and held Byleth’s leg against her own, making a face that mirrored the pleasure she was feeling. Byleth stepped over the edge right along with her, feeling white hot pleasure take over her entire body.

When the moment faded, they laid there, breathing heavily, covered in each other’s sweat, and attempting to return to reality. It was Rhea who crawled over Byleth, and took her in her arms, positioning her so that they were both lying down, and Rhea was spooning her.

She kissed her ear. “You’ve no idea how happy you’ve made me,” she whispered.

Outside her line of sight, Byleth grinned. She kissed the back of her hand. Out loud, she said nothing, but these few words were loud and clear in her mind.

_We will make peace of this world together._

Not soon after, they fell asleep like that. Two green haired women, brought together by the flow of time, and made to fall in love by events that were very much human.

* * *

Rhea shifted, perhaps close to falling asleep. Byleth watched her. Watched the beautiful, rhythmic rise and fall of her chest.

“I have truly been alive for too long,” Rhea said, mostly to herself.

Hearing that made Byleth pause. It reminded her of something.

“Rhea.”

“Hm?”

“I… There’s something that has been on my mind for a very long time, now. I’ve been meaning to ask you about it, but… I never got a chance.”

Rhea turned to face her. “Darling, is now truly the best time…?”

“Maybe not, but now I… I need to know.”

“Alright. What is it?”

Byleth pressed her lips together into a thin line. “Rhea. We both know that much about me changed when Sothis granted me her power. It happened nearly six years ago, now, and yet… I don’t look or feel as though I’ve aged a day. I… will I age? Ever?”

Rhea bit her lip, and looked away. It was an extremely loaded question, Byleth knew, but with the intense emotions she was feeling in that moment… she had to know. The few seconds that Rhea took before she spoke were heavy with tension.

“My love, I… Forgive me. I should have told you sooner. You… no, you will not. You are now an incarnation, of sorts, of The Goddess. You do not share her conscience, of course, but you harbor many of the powers that she did when she walked this world. You… are immortal, now, as I am. That is to say, your death is not an impossibility, but unless you are slain by another, you will go on living… likely forever.”

It was a stunning revelation. One that had implications about as heavy as the world, but for some reason, Byleth didn’t feel all too shaken. Perhaps she had already known. Perhaps hearing it from Rhea was purely confirmation.

“My love— Byleth. I am so, so sorry. I should have spoken to you about this sooner. Surely before we—” she cut herself off, clearly attempting to hold back from crying. “Living forever is not romantic. It is not joyful. There is so much pain that you will have to face. I should have—”

“Rhea.”

Byleth put two fingers to her lips to keep her from talking. “I know. I know. I… I will deal with all of that, when the time comes. But this… I don’t feel angry, or sad about it. Rather, I think it’s the opposite. Rhea, I. I’m so happy.”

Rhea’s eyes widened, and there was almost a little spark to them.

“This means that we can protect this world. We can watch over it, and work to make sure that it doesn’t see another war like the ones that we’ve lived through. And… we can be together. Forever. I…” Byleth bit her lip, not unlike Rhea had just a moment ago. “I was apart from you for over five years, Rhea. It felt like an eternity, because I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. I don’t want to feel that again. Not ever. I want to have you with me, always. For as many lifetimes as I’m here, I want to be with you. I want--”

Rhea cut her off with a kiss. A kiss so deep, so passionate, that it carried more meaning to it, more significance, than any amount of words ever could. Byleth kissed back, and in that fleeting, perfect moment, she truly felt that they were one.

“For all that I have lived. All that I have seen, felt, and lost. I am thankful for all of it. Because it brought me here, now. To this very bed, with you,” Rhea said.

Byleth took her hand, and kissed the back of it. “I love you, Rhea.”

“And I love you, my sweet one. Now and always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew, we made it! I kept changing my mind as to how I went about this chapter, and honestly I think I'm going to save the very long/detailed smut for another fic. didn't feel very fitting to have a super long/intricate sex scene in this one given that it's much more focused on their relationship. 
> 
> also! I did write a little bit of a fun epilogue that was mostly just for me, but I'll build on it and add it as a chapter to this fic if you guys like. let me know!
> 
> once again, thank you so much for reading/giving kudos so far. you guys are awesome. 
> 
> I always want to be yelled at about Rhea, and I have a twitter that's dedicated exclusively for that now! I don't really ever post anything, but you can definitely DM me @HiShinyMilotics. 
> 
> luv u guise. ♡

**Author's Note:**

> have a suggestion/request, or are interested in commissioning me? shoot me an email at shinycommissions@gmail.com /~


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